Return To Edora
by xfirefly9x
Summary: Sam/Jack. Major Samantha Carter had never dreaded a mission with SG1 as much as she did this one.
1. Chapter 1

**Return To Edora**

Prompt: #032 Power // Ability, Function, Energy, Strength, Authorize

Notes: Written for scifi five

Major Samantha Carter had never dreaded a mission with SG-1 as much as she did this one. Since she had learned the details of it at the briefing the day before, she had been wracked with anxiety…and fear.

She felt like her ability to function properly was impaired by lack of sleep the previous night – she had been kept awake for hours, due to her seemingly never ending thoughts of what the mission entailed. She had spent so much time worrying about it that she had forgotten her notes when she had left for the SGC that morning and had had to turn around and go back for them. She hated when that happened! Fortunately, it rarely did. Unfortunately, it just _had_ to happen today of all days.

After what felt like hours, she had finally arrived at the SGC, only to find that the mission had been pushed up and they were leaving an hour early.

Now, while she waited for one of the gate technicians, most likely Siler, to activate the gate, she wanted to throw up. She _needed_ to throw up. She had no energy; no strength to go through the gate and face what she knew she had to face.

She couldn't stand the thought that _she'd_ be there.

"Carter?" Jack prompted her softly, breaking her from her tormenting thoughts.

Sam glanced up and forced a smile onto her face. "Yes, sir?" she asked, her voice sounding small and thin even to herself.

Jack regarded her for a moment before shaking his head. "Nothing." He attempted to give her an encouraging smile, but it was more of a grimace than anything. Glancing over at Daniel and Teal'c who were talking quietly amongst themselves, he made up his mind and turned back to Sam.

"Well, actually…" he started, just as Siler's voice came over the loudspeaker, "I…"

"Chevron one encoded," Siler stated as the klaxons spurred to life. Loudly.

Sam wrinkled her nose and studied Jack's face. "Sir?"

Jack waited for Siler to announce the seventh chevron locking before he continued. He began to walk with Sam by his side towards the gate, hanging back from the rest. "Carter, is everything okay?"

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts and form a coherent and sufficient excuse, Sam nodded and smiled weakly at her CO. "Yes, sir. Everything is great." She hated lying to him, but really, what else could she do? If he knew the real reason behind her…nervousness…and strange behaviour…she didn't even want to think about that!

She watched as Jack quietly accepted her answer although she could tell he didn't quite believe that she was all right and then followed him through the gate, glancing back as she did.

She so wasn't looking forward to this mission!

General Hammond had authorised SG-1 to go back to Edora.


	2. Chapter 2

**Return To Edora (Pt 2)**

Sam stepped through the gate behind the others to see the familiar rocky surroundings that she had come to hate all those years before. Although the area had been cleaned up somewhat, it still had a remarkable likening to the images that had burnt into her brain the last time she'd been there.

A sizeable block of land stretched out in front of them, discarded stones and rocks littering the way. The Stargate had been propped up awkwardly in the middle by several of the larger boulders. If you looked off into the distance, you could see that the landscape eventually ran off to greener pastures and mountainous terrain, with trees scattered sparsely across the entire area and the edge of a small town peeking over the horizon.

P-90's raised in case of an attack, they silently scanned for any potential dangers and sensing none, began to move towards the town. As he had on so many other missions, Jack cracked a joke as they headed off and glanced in Sam's direction to see her reaction. No smile. That confirmed his theory that something was wrong!

Moving onwards, Teal'c brought up the front, leaving Daniel and Jack in the middle and Sam at the rear, just where she wanted to be. She wanted to avoid contact with the natives as much as anyone else would want to avoid the plague…or listening to Teal'c cracking a Jaffa joke and staying at the back would be very useful to ensure that happened.

Sam felt her mind slip from the present to move onto the tirade of thoughts that had been troubling her, as they walked. She remembered the last mission to Edora. It had gone terribly wrong and had resulted in Jack spending 3 months on the planet with _her _while she and the rest of them worked – some more restlessly than others – to get him safely home again.

She recalled the other times that either Jack or she, herself, had been in a similar situation and how mind-numbingly vulnerable it had made her. And she felt a part of her – a very small part – find relief in the fact that so far, everything appeared to be going smoothly.

If it held up like Sam hoped, they would be gone within hours.

"Carter."

Jack was suddenly by her side and she swallowed down her surprise quickly before glancing up and acknowledging him.

"Yes, sir?" Her voice betrayed her again and came out thinner than she had hoped. She coughed into one hand to clear her throat and tried again. "Colonel?" Licking her lips nervously, she tightened her grip on her P-90 so that her knuckles were almost white.

Jack noticed, but didn't comment on it. "You ready?" He gestured at the outskirts of the town, raising an eyebrow when his second-in-command grimaced. She hadn't realised it was so close. Or maybe it just seemed closer because of the intensity of her feelings towards it. Whatever.

Her mind had slipped momentarily as they had walked and now, there it was. Edora.

"Ready as ever," Sam muttered, forcing a smile onto her face.

Jack shook his head and sighed. "Let's do this, then!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Return To Edora (Pt 3)**

"Ahh, Jack," Daniel suddenly spoke up thoughtfully, startling both Jack and Sam from their conversation. They looked up simultaneously to see him readjust glasses as he continued to speak, squinting into the bright sunlight. "Would it be alright if Teal'c and I head down to the caves to check the stability of the caves and the artefacts I found there last time after the meteors – ?"

"Sure, sure," Jack interrupted, waving a hand irritably. "Just be back by lunch. You have four hours," he added, checking his watch. He nodded slowly and watched as Daniel muttered a quiet 'thanks' before rushing off, Teal'c keeping up with him easily.

"I guess that leaves just us, huh, Carter?" Jack turned back to her with a wry smile.

Sam nodded, sighing inwardly at the newfound knowledge that she and Jack alone would have to talk to the natives. There would be no Daniel to turn to if she got emotional at all. Not that she _would_ get emotional! She knew better than to let her emotions get in the way. "I guess so, sir," she agreed.

Taking a deep breath, she followed him as he began to move through the first scattering of cottages. She made a conscious effort to stay alert enough to watch his six effectively, and readjusted her grip on her P-90.

After awhile, Jack paused again to look at her. "Just a few minutes more," he told her, with something that could either be read as a smile or a grimace crossing his face momentarily. He had a contemplative look in his eyes as well, and she felt a twinge of hope that his thoughts were not of the woman he'd spent 3 months with there, but of someone else.

"Yes, sir." Sighing yet again, she swatted at an insect that landed on her arm and moved up beside him.

"So, what's the plan when we get there, Colonel?" she asked as casually as she could. She offered a weak smile, hoping he'd take it as a sign that she was fine and that she had no problem at with being there. Yeah, right.

He saw right through her and patted her on the back, knowingly. "Ah, well, I was thinking we'd catch up with Laira and check that everything's in order. After that, there's a lake!" He waited for Sam to offer another weak smile and then nodded. "What do you think about fishing awhile?"

_That_ had her!

Rolling her eyes, Sam leaned over to swat at Jack's arm playfully and she smiled her first real smile since she had heard about the mission – one that reached her eyes and lit up her face.

Jack grinned back happily, having finally achieved his goal, and caught her wrist with one hand. "Hey, now! Hitting your CO like that! That's just…wrong!" His other hand shot up to grip her more firmly when she struggled against him and he pulled her into his arms without a thought.

"And _that_, sir, would be regarded as sexual harassment," she whispered back, challengingly. Her mouth twitched up in amusement before taking on a more serious look as she realised their position.

Jack stared down at her then, and their eyes locked. "I should…"

His words stopped abruptly when he caught sight of a woman and a young boy of about 3 or 4 years old, making their way towards them. Great.

Slowly and painfully, he broke away.

Sam, no longer tangled up in his arms, moved to stand by his side and together they waited as the woman and child came up to them.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:Thanks for all the reviews so far! And sorry for the extra long wait on this part. I had a little trouble working out where to go with it. Anyway, it's a bit longer than the previous chapters. And it answers the long awaited answer: who is the boy with Laira? Is he Jack's son? Hope you like!

**Return To Edora (Pt 4)**

"Jack!"

The woman threw her arms around him, a huge smile breaking out on her face. It didn't look like it was just a casual hug between friends to her. It was more than that. There was something in the way she looked at Jack and the way her arms fell around his waist…

Sam scowled at Laira and found her dislike for the woman deepening more than she cared to admit. She was moving in on her territory and she didn't like it. She didn't like it a bit.

Stepping back a little, she forced her eyes shut and kept them closed for several seconds before opening them again just in time to see Laira pull back from Jack and give the boy by her side a gentle pat on the shoulder. She sighed restlessly.

"Laira," Jack finally acknowledged with a nod. He brushed his clothes down absently with the palms of his hands, then turned back to Sam. "So, how about we get this show on the road, huh?" he said, throwing a smile in her direction.

Sam nodded mutely and smiled back.

Laira also agreed, immediately taking Jack by the arm and leading them off towards one of the cottages. He seemed to know where they were going and Sam felt another twinge of…what was it? Jealousy? No. Annoyance.

None of it – the last trip to Edora – should have happened. She should have been able to get Jack back home safely sooner. _Why_ hadn't she found a way? Shutting off those thoughts, she made her mind go blank and focused on her surroundings.

She threw a few quick glances towards the young boy as they followed Jack and Laira to size him up – not that she would admit it, even to herself. In all honesty, the boy was absolutely adorable. His hair was golden brown and fell in small curls over his head. Grey blue eyes finished the look and there was a splattering of freckles over his perfectly shaped nose. Truly adorable.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Laira stopped abruptly to tell them. "This is Nathan." She smiled at the boy and reached out a hand to ruffle his hair affectionately. "He's my son."

Jack raised an eyebrow that could rival Teal'c's easily, giving the boy a curious look. "Nathan," he repeated, thoughtfully. He continued to watch him for a moment longer before throwing the boy a cocky grin and glancing over at Laira. "Nice kid you've got there."

He kneeled down next to the boy and muttered something that Sam couldn't hear. It must have been something good because Nathan smirked. Having achieved his goal, Jack stood up slowly and turned back to Laira.

As if sensing Sam's thoughts, he asked the question that she had been both dreading and wanting to hear ever since the first moment she had set eyes on Laira and her…her son. "Who's the father? Anyone I know?"

Sam stiffened. "It's not…uh…it's not Colonel O'Neill, is it?" she mumbled anxiously, her cheek flushing.

Jack snorted. "No, no. It can't be! I was never…we never…" he broke off and then visibly paled. "We didn't…did we?" he asked Laira. "When we were drunk…?"

Laira raised an eyebrow and smiled softly. "No, he's not yours," she confirmed. "And we were never 'together' if that's what you mean. It was clear that your heart belonged to someone else and although I enjoyed your company immensely, I knew that was all that I would get while there was any chance of returning to your world."

"Ahh, right," Jack drew out. "Okay then."

"So, no," Laira answered Jack's question easily. "You haven't met him. He didn't come into the village until after you had returned to your home." She smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, you won't be meeting him. He was one of the last explorers to go through the Stargate after it was fully restored." She grimaced.

"Oh?" Sam put in, finding herself able to relax more now that she knew that Nathan wasn't Jack's and that Laira had a serious relationship with someone else. Inwardly, she sighed in relief.

"Yes. It was decided after you left that the Stargate would be put into use for the good of our people. It took a week to restore it and then the first groups of explorers went through. They came back to us, fine and well, so we sent a second group and a third. We now have a number of teams not unlike the ones on Earth that you described to me."

She paused. "Matthew joined one of the teams in their last mission to replace one of their injured members, but they haven't returned."

Jack frowned. "Do you know where they went?"

He immediately wished he hadn't asked.

Laira swallowed nervously and explained. "They went to an address that some of the children found written on a cave wall. Apart from the gate address, no one could understand the language. We don't know anything more than that."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I just want to say a big 'thanks' to Bucky4. Your last review made me really stop and think about where this is headed. Thanks to everyone else who has reviewed, as well, and sorry for the delay.

**Return To Edora (Pt 5)**

For several minutes the three of them stood silent, each wondering exactly how much trouble it was that the explorers had gotten themselves into. A lot, it appeared, from what they knew and a lot, because of how much they _didn't_ know. Laira, herself, knew hardly anything about the situation and Jack and Sam knew even less. That definitely wasn't a good sign. But then again, that the explorers hadn't turned up dead or enslaved by Goa'ulds could only be a positive thing.

"Let me get this straight. They went to an address you found on the wall of a cave?" Sam asked for confirmation. She continued when Laira nodded, grimacing and glancing over at Jack who had a similar display of emotions dancing over his face. "I don't suppose you could show it to us?"

She reached a hand up to swat a wild strand of hair from her face, forehead furrowed in concern.

"I can," Laira agreed as they came upon the cottage. "It's not far if you wish to leave now. Or would you rather have a drink first? You must be thirsty from your walk here." She opened the door and glanced between them.

"Give us a minute, will you?" Jack asked her with a grim smile.

Laira smiled back. "Join me inside when you're ready," she told them as she headed in. Nathan ran up and followed her in, having run off unnoticed while they'd been talking.

When they were both out of sight, Jack shot Sam a questioning stare and shoved his hands deep into his pockets, his P90 brushing against his arms. "Well, Carter. What do you think?" he asked her quietly.

"Well, sir," Sam began, "it'd probably be best if we get this over with sooner rather than later." She eyed him curiously. Usually, he'd just make the decision on his own and tell her what to do. It was a simple enough choice. He had to be asking for her opinion to...what? Make things easier for her? He'd sensed her discomfort returning to Edora, so why not?

Jack gestured offhandedly in the direction of the caves and she let the thought slide. "We could meet up with Teal'c and Daniel in the caves and go on from there," he muttered, to which Sam responded with a shrug.

"Sure."

She watched as he nodded in affirmation and turned to follow Laira. "I'll let Laira know," he said as he opened the door.

Sam readjusted her P90 once more. "I'll wait here."

Taking a moment to readjust his cap, Jack disappeared into the cottage.

The cottage was exactly as Jack remembered it: warm, cosy and furnished only with the necessities without looking bare. It took a moment for his eyes to fully adjust to the light, dulled considerably compared to outdoors. He inhaled deeply. The smell of wood flooded his senses, as did memories of his last time there.

He'd spent days outside, trying in vain to recover the stargate and make his way back home. In the evenings, he'd return to the cottage, discard his shirt and scrub himself clean using water from buckets carried up from the stream. Laira would have a meal prepared and waiting for him on the table when he was done more often than not and they'd sit and eat together, sometimes talking, sometimes not.

It hadn't been his ideal life, but it had been something that had come to mean a lot to him. It had become his way of life when he'd given up hope of returning home.

Being there now felt strange and he knew he had made the correct choice in going back to the SGC when he'd been rescued rather than remaining behind. This life wasn't his, nor was it meant to be.

"Laira," he said softly, meeting her eyes finally. "We'd like to go now, if that's alright with you."

A nervous smile darted over her face and she walked over, placing a hand over his arm and leading him over to the wooden table. "We must speak first," Laira explained at his confused look.

**TBC...**


End file.
